Gov. Sarah Palin was amazing. Wow, she lit that stage up, didn’t she? She was charming, funny and articulate. She sure is easy on the eyes, too. That accent is adorable – such a cute little librarian. I seriously want her to speak to the U.S. every once in a while. I hope she does make it to the White House. She was flawless in her performance. Her coaching sure showed this time. Well done, Sarah.
However, it was rather difficult to discern what she offered that was substantive. She dodged questions and responded to issues with adages such as, "Say it ain’t so, Joe," while melting America’s collective heart. She made no sound during the foreign policy forum. It was a shame to not get to hear her explain how much she is in the know. I really was heartbroken when she didn’t mention health care while talking about a bailout. It was a disappointment to Saturday Night Live that there were no big blunders they could run with.
All she did was avoid screwing up and look cute. This is a fear I have of the current Republican Party. The politicians are morons. Bush never made it to the University of Texas Law School, and his first choice. Sen. John McCain graduated in the bottom of his class-fifth-lowest is the latest news. Palin knows about as much about policy and economy as Paris Hilton, and the Republican Party loves her.
The Republican Party of today is a party of emotions. Its platform is based on patriotism and the United States, morality and Christianity; and these factors do not even begin to work in the global political structure. How do you bring Christian charity into a multilateral petition for sanction in North Korea? How does "Made in America" stand up to a cheaper cost per unit found overseas? How does patriotism factor in when the U.S. is down on its knees in front of Saudi Arabian oilmen?
The 1950s are over. The Cold War is over. We are global now, and there is no going back. It seems the Republican Party will not vet a knowledgeable candidate. They will not speak on the issues. They will not get involved with decisions; most of that is done on the cabinet level. The reason Scooter Libby and Karl Rove went down is not because they are the fall guys, but because they were the hatchet men. Vice President Dick Cheney was by all respects the most influential vice president in American history, while President George Bush took more vacation time than any president before him. The Republican Party is reverting to smoke and mirrors and this debate proves it.
Bush was once quoted as saying he was the master of low expectations, but I think Palin has every right to that claim as well. Maybe someday the Republican Party will nominate better candidates, but with so many pursued policies that run counterintuitive to their basic platform and a constituency that would not vote for a liberal if their lives depended on it, what is the incentive?
Khan, a political science and history junior, can be reached via [email protected]
